Chemicals React
by merdermcdreaming
Summary: Workaholic Meredith Grey meets, under unfortunate circumstances, easy going, free spirited Derek Shepherd. So, is it really true that chemicals react? Do opposites really attract? DISCLAIMER: I don't own Grey's Anatomy! Better summary inside! :
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Welcome to… my new fic! I know what some of you may be thinking. "Wow, she's in way over her head." Well, I just might be. This fic will add to Secrets, and Blur (which is currently on hiatus) but this idea just wouldn't get out of my head. Basically, it's a slightly AU Meredith and Derek fic. You'll see what happens as you read, and I'll explain a little more after. **_**Please **_**give it a chance! Reviews would be fantastic, it'd help me get this story up and running! **_

_**Summary: Workaholic Meredith Grey meets, under unfortunate circumstances, easy going, free spirited Derek Shepherd. Work is all she thinks about. Work is what got her into a mess. So, is it really true that chemicals react? Do opposites **_**really**_** attract? **_

Clasping the steering wheel tighter, Meredith Grey looked at her watch. It was already 8:15. That meant it was well past the time her meeting was going to start. Meredith Grey, the overachiever, the workaholic, the perfectionist, was going to be late. Her fingers began to tap in a nervous rhythm as she clutched the steering wheel even tighter. The rhythmic tapping wasn't easing her nerves.

Across from her, the traffic light was a mocking shade of vibrant red.

_Tap, tap, tap. _

Meredith Grey was about to have the biggest meeting of her life. A meeting so important, it could change the entire direction of her career… her career she had worked her entire life to work on, to build up, to help. She depended on this meeting… this meeting that started five minutes ago.

Some people- including some of her friends- called her a workaholic. To Meredith, that wasn't a threat, and it certainly wasn't an insult. It came with an unintended sense of dry pride, the kind that came with props; like being able to brag to her friends that she was finally an attending.

But, could she become an attending if she ever got to her meeting?

No.

_Tap, tap, tap. _

How long was that light going to last? Was it there to torment, to mock her? To make her sit there, staring in a maddening rush against time that she knew she couldn't win? Work was her life. Without work, what would she ever have accomplished? Nothing, that was what.

Her cell phone blinked and beeped in a monotone ring from her pocket, and in frustration, she dug it out rapidly. The dim caller ID displayed _Bailey. _She groaned internally. Her boss.

_Tap, tap, tap. _

She didn't pick up in fear she'd get a lecture, an unforgiving, angry, what-did-you-do lecture, but she let it go to voicemail. Waiting for the confirmation that she got a new message was one of the longest waits she'd had to suffer through in a while. Then, in a rapid tap, she began to shoot what she'd hope would be a successful text to her, explaining why she was late and why she couldn't talk. No texting and driving, she thought to herself.

She paused, looking down at her small screen. Should she do it? Bailey was stubborn, in a maddening way that showed she couldn't, and wouldn't, be messed with. What would happen if she didn't respond? What if she was bumped down again? That couldn't happen… She shrugged rapidly and continued typing. Before she could realize what she was doing, her small foot began to press down on the pedal. It was a gentle, small movement at first, barely making a difference. Her eyes were focused on the small screen of her blackberry, her eyes blocking out anything else. Without knowing it, her foot pressed downward a little more, weight shifting more, pushing on the pedal a little harder.

And that was all it took.

Her foot had pressed too hard, something she did my impulse when she was stressed, and she felt a jolt of energy as the car rocketed forward. Before she could react to the quick and unsettling movement, she heard something. A large crash exploded in her ears and she dropped her cell phone to the ground, trying to grasp what was going on. Everything was moving too quick, edges blurred, colors mashed together.

The car moved to the right with a fast move, a jolt, an angry bolt filled with power. Her whole body swayed and she felt her arm twist uncomfortably, stuck behind her. There was the sound of a _puff _and the airbag in front of her exploded open, expanding right before she was shoved into the steering wheel. She could barely make out the image of her windshield cracking into a puzzling spider web in front of her. She panted, gasping for air as she craned her neck. Sirens screamed in the background. Her head was fuzzy, but she could remember what happened.

An accident. She had caused an accident.

She bit her lip and flexed her fingers. They moved. She wiggled her leg as much as she could. They moved. Her head throbbed, but not in a nerve-inducing way. She let out a sliver of a sigh that escaped her lips, content that she seemed okay enough. She blinked as she heard muffled shouts of people outside of the car, partially blocked by sirens. With trembling fingers she tried to undo her seatbelt, fumbling to click the red button downwards. Where was it? She searched with unsteady hands until she found it, pressing down on the button firmly. The click confirmed it as she wriggled her way out, letting a sigh escape her lips again. Her airbag was shoved up against her, and she tried to wriggle loose. It was hard, but she still had strength. Thank goodness.

"Ma'am, don't try to move," A low, husky voice came from beside her. She craned her neck, and it was a firefighter and a paramedic. The firefighter was inspecting the damage to her car, and the paramedic was talking to her. His voice was dipped low, "You best wait. We don't know what kind of damage you've done."

She was reluctant, but sighed, "Okay, okay. Fine,"

"You're talking, ma'am. That's a good sign," The paramedic reassured her.

"I know I'm talking," She snapped. Then added, "I'm a doctor. Surgeon, actually," Her heart skipped a beat. Her meeting.

"Oh, well you seem like you're going to be fine." Besides the husky guy paramedic, a small woman ran up to him, her feet pounding against the pavement. Meredith could smell burnt rubber.

"Can't say the same for the other guy," The woman whispered nervously, taking gloves out of the truck and snapping them on. Meredith's heart pounded.

"Other guy? What… what other guy?" A small voice in her head taunted her, mocking, _you did this. You did this. _

"Oh. The other man in the accident. He's not looking so good," She said flatly, yanking out a box of med supplies before fleeing off. Meredith felt a wave of nausea sweep upon her instantly. Numbness crept along her feet. Other guy? It was all her fault.

Instantly, she forgot the meeting. She forgot about herself. She forgot about everything. Shoving the airbag away from her she pushed her way out of the car, her head throbbing, her heart pounding inside of her chest. Pent-up air in her lungs whooshed out and she ran to the other side of the car, all while the paramedic yelled at her to stay where she was. Thoughts buzzed and her vision blurred, nervous tears sprouting before she could tell them not to.

When she got to the other side, she felt weak. Her car… her precious car… was completely totaled on the other side. The passenger seat was completely pressed in, and the entire side was crushed under the blow of the other car. Her car was destroyed, that she knew. But something like guilt made her weaker than she had been before.

The other car.

The other car- a beautiful Mazda- was smashed. The front of it that had nailed her metal beast was scrunched up to half it's size, mimicking something like an accordion. The metal was bent and deformed, and both front wheels had popped instantly on contact. Smoke paraded, billowing from the front of the car, and people were flooded around it. Meredith could barely make out the shape of a medium sized man being pulled from inside.

He was flopped over the steering wheel with no airbag, unconscious. Nothing moved. His chest was distorted, ribs obviously bent and broken, and his head was bleeding slightly. His left arm was bent oddly, and his windshield had cracked and the glass cascaded down on top of him. They had managed to get his distorted door open, but they were stuggling to get him out of the entanglement of metal around his seat. His black hair was matted to his face.

Meredith suddenly didn't care about work, she didn't care about anything except that man in the car. Her head was pounding, and intangible guilt filled her body, reducing her to a sobbing mess. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Had she killed this man? This young, innocent man, who was now flopped over like a fish? The paramedics pulled and flexed, finally releasing him from the smoke filled wreck. He was twisted, looking broken. Meredith felt two hands on her shoulders, guiding her away from the wreckage. It was the large paramedic. "Ma'am, you can't be over here. You need to get to the hospital to be checked out, you could be in shock,"

Meredith shook her head, trying to pry herself away as she saw the man being plopped onto a stretcher, "No! I need to m-make sure he's o-okay,"

"Listen, we can take you to the same hospital as him, okay? We just need to check you out to confirm you don't have any internal injuries. The doctors will update you as soon as we're done, but we need to get out of here. Come on," Meredith sniffled, watching as the ambulance that carried the poor man sped off, sirens blaring into the streets as it zoomed away rapidly.

Reluctantly, she agreed. "Fine," She murmured. "What hospital?" They began walking to the other ambulance, as she peeked back to see firefighters working on the smoking mess of tangled metal. She winced.

"It was going to be Seattle Grace, but Seattle Presbyterian is closer," The man responded, helping her onto a stretcher. She lay there as they placed her throbbing head into a firm brace. She was slightly grateful. That meant she couldn't have to face any of her collegues. Groaning, she shut her eyes, guilt ridden and horrified but what had happened in nothing but a blink of an eye.

X X X

"It was horrible, Ryan!" She cried into her phone. The uncomfortable pastel waiting room chairs of Seattle Presbyterian squeaked underneath her as she shifted her weight. Her free hand was clasped around the bar of the chair, as if hanging on for dear life. "He just looked so… so… I don't know!"

"It's okay, Meredith," Ryan, Meredith's stone-faced boyfriend, replied coolly, but there was a hint of frustration in his voice. He hadn't been happy with her call about what had happened.

"What if he died? What if he died and it's my fault?" Meredith gasped again, weakly clutching onto the handle tighter. People were beginning to look at her, eyes searching her weak form. After getting out of the uncomfortable examination she was waiting for news on the man that had hit her.

She could here a scraggly, frustrated sigh on the other end. "I don't know. Now, how much did the insurance say they'd pay for?" Meredith gasped against her will. A man, who could be dead because of a mistake she made, was in critical condition in surgery. And her boyfriend just cared about insurance? A chill echoed through her body.

"I don't know, Ryan," She said icily, wiping at her cheeks madly.

"Okay. Meredith, this is going to be a boatload of money…" He moaned into the phone. She felt anger beginning to boil inside of her.

"It just may be. But Ryan, he~"

"I've got to go, Meredith. I've got a cardio case in the pit. We'll discuss this later, bye," _Click. _

Meredith stared at her phone like a zombie, her eyes completely filled with frustration. She had been sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room for almost three hours, waiting for any sort of news. She hadn't gotten any, though, and the thoughts that swarmed her were making her sick. She plopped her head in her hands and moaned.

She had missed her meeting by hours now. Her meeting that was supposed to determine the course of her career… and she had missed it. It was her fault, and now she had not only fines to pay, but the possibility of jail time… She shuddered. She still hadn't told the police about what had happened. The only person who had seen it were her and the other man. A thick blob of tears rose in her throat again, and she let out a shaky gasp. What had she gotten herself into?

She wasn't going to lie- Meredith Grey wasn't a liar. She would avoid it, though, as long as possible. And she knew that it was a weakness of hers.

"Miss Grey?" A nurse from the front called out to her, her honey-rich voice dipping low and sweet like a melody. "Miss Grey?" She called again.

Meredith shook her head to attention, "Oh, uh, yes. And it's doctor Grey," She stood up, her legs trembling fiercely, and she walked up to the front. She felt like all eyes were scanning her, boring into the back of her head. Especially after that phone call. The nurse swung the door open, and a burst of cool air came into Meredith. Her gulped it down, savoring the oxygen.

"Okay. Dr. Grey, the patient, Dr. Derek Shepherd, is asking for you," The nurse chimed. Meredith had butterflies in her stomach- and they weren't fluttering. They were more like kicking. Or doing an angry mess of karate moves.

"He is?" She murmured, than shook her head, "Wait, he's okay?"

"Yeah. The recovery will be long and extremely hard, but he is alive and about stable now," They patted down the shiny hallways, doctors bolting around them and nurses gossiping, or reading charts, at nurses stations. "He would like to talk to you about everything that happened. I understand you guys were in a pretty nasty car accident?"

"Yeah," Meredith gulped weakly as they turned into the wing titled _ICU. _"It was pretty bad…"

"Okay then. There are also some police officers waiting to get your statement. Feel free to speak to Dr. Shepherd first, if you would like. Do you know him?"

"I…" Meredith trailed off, shuddering. Dr. Shepherd. No, she didn't recognize the name. Maybe Chief, once or twice, had mentioned hiring a new head of Neuro named Derek something, but that couldn't be the same person. She shook her head, "No. N-not really."

"Oh, well isn't that a shame. Dr. Shepherd has no family anywhere near here, apparently. He just moved to the area," The nurse said, shaking her head solemnly. "We don't know how on earth he is going to get through recovery without a support system, or anyone to help him,"

Meredith's heart hurt intangibly from hearing that. No one? "Oh," Was all she said, barely above a thin whisper.

Finally, they had approached the room. After some urging from the kind nurse, she entered. The atmosphere was different from the rest of the hospital, so different she could barely recognize it. A pungent small whipped into her nose and she crinkled her face up. She should have been used to it. Multiple monitors bleeped at even intervals around her. The smell of sterilized equipment and cleaning materials engulfed the room.

Meredith was more than taken aback by what she saw. Derek- rather good looking- lay in the bed, his body looking abnormally small. Through the outline of his pastel gown, she could see the lines of a chest brace holding him firmly, tightly. He had to have broken ribs, she thought as she remembered the nasty image of the wreck. His sparkling blue eyes were about halfway open, looking at her… into her. She looked down at first, her eyes searching aimlessly along the floor, begging for something to focus on. She found nothing. "I…" She trembled weakly, mumbling, "I'm so sorry, Dr. Shepherd,"

After a moment, she heard the distant noise of a small voice. The voice was rich and deep, slightly scratchy, but soothing all the same. It dipped low and rose faintly, finding its way into the nook of her ear. "It's alright," A pause as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "And call me Derek, please. People who get into car accidents get to call me by my first name,"

She winced. She knew his words were meant to be taken kindly, but the way he said it stung. "Okay, Derek. I'm just… I'm really sorry. I'm Meredith by the way…"

"Meredith…" He hummed, "I like that name,"

She shook her head and began to pace nervously, "Okay. I… I'm so sorry, Dr. Shep- I mean, Derek. I am so, so, so, so sorry! I just… there was a meeting, at work, you know? I'm a surgeon. So it was kind of~"

"Surgeon?" He cut in quietly, "So am I."

"Yeah. Okay. Um, I shouldn't have been texting and driving. I… I know you saw, and I will take whatever charges you choose to press. I might even get thrown in jail, right? Meredith Grey to the slammer. I just… I'm so, so, sorry! I never meant for this… to happen."

There was a silence for a moment: A stiff, uncomfortable silence that made Meredith want to scream. She had just openly admitted what she did wrong. She knew it wasn't _all _her fault- he had been speeding a little bit- but it mainly was. She felt like a terrible, horrible person, and the silence was eating away at her. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

"Well…" He began quietly, pondering many things. She tapped her fingers on her waist, full of trembling nerves. "I'm not pressing charges. This is my fault."

Meredith froze, staring at him, gaping widely. What was he saying? Was he kidding? He had to have seen her being distracted. It wasn't his fault, not at all. "What?" She gasped out loud, running her hands through her hair.

"I said, it's okay," He reiterated. "It isn't all your fault. People make mistakes. I'm sure you don't have a criminal record, or anything. You were rushing to get to work. Besides, it really is half my fault. I was speeding to get to work- my first day- as well, and if I had just slowed down, none of this would've happened."

Meredith couldn't believe it. He didn't look like he was joking. His face really showed that he was sincere… that he actually cared. She gulped in air. "N-no. I can't let you do that. I can't," She was trembling again, partially unaware of what was actually happening. She felt slightly numb.

"It'll be your word…" He wheezed, a cough hitting him so hard that he doubled over. Watching in horror, Meredith frowned as he panted, "…against mine."

"Derek, no! This is insane. You can't take the blame for this…"

"Now, it _was _partially my fault," he coughed. Before she could say anything else, he added, "Enough. It's settled. You made a mistake, I made a mistake, and we're humans. Okay? Okay." She tried to talk one more time, but he intensified his voice slightly as he said, "I'm serious!"

"I…" She trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief. The thought that someone would do this… for her- workaholic, intense, dark and twisty Meredith- was hard to believe. She swallowed a lump that was increasing size in her throat and murmured, "Thank you. Thank you… so much,"

He said it so nonchalantly that Meredith could have believed he was never in a car accident. "Of course. Everyone deserves a break every now and then, you know?"

Meredith bobbed her head and gulped, "Yeah. Yeah." But looking over at him, something was rather unsettling to her. He was letting her go, without even paying the consequences, and she was who got him put in the hospital in the first place. Biting her lip, she sat down in a chair, running her hands through her hair. What he did was unprecedented. She didn't deserve it, did she? "What can I do for you?" She tried.

"Nothing," Derek coughed. More silence followed, swirling around Meredith and bringing on frustration. Meredith was persistent, though.

"Do you have anyone to take care of you? The recovery will be hard," She warned, although he knew already. He _was _a surgeon. "Do you?"

His eyes cast downward as he averted his gaze. He mumbled, "No. I just moved here."

"Oh," She said quietly, looking down as well. She wasn't sure where she was originally going to go from there. Spontaneously, she got an idea… A rich, interesting, crazy, possibly wonderful, idea. It came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop it. "I'll take care of you. For two months, until you can do things completely on your own."

His jaw hung open, wide with shock. "What? No, I could never ask you to…"

"Listen to me. I'm a doctor, I know what I'm doing. I'll take more break days, and I'll come over and help you with your meds, drive you to physical therapy, you know. You don't have anyone, and ou and I both know how hard this recovery is going to be," He tried to protest, but she wouldn't let him. "Let me do this for you, Dr. Shep- Derek. It's the least I could do, after all you're doing for me."

He paused, pondering the offer. She tapped her foot nervously, and work pounded in the back of her mind. What was she getting herself in to? "Fine," He whispered, followed by a hoarse cough. "You promise?"

"Promise what?"

"That you'll stay."

"Yes," She said earnestly. She then paused, though, wondering what she had done. What would Ryan think of this? "Yes."

_**A/N: Okay! There it is! How did you like it? Will you come back for more? If you guys aren't too enthusiastic, I'll probably wait a little while before posting the next chapter and getting it really up and running. And vice versa :) This is in NO WAY a fic about Meredith and Ryan, although he'll come into an interesting role as the story progresses. What do you think about how Derek reacted to the whole situation? Too easy going? Hm, we'll see! Workaholic Meredith and free spirited Derek. It'll be a bumpy ride, but a good one at that! Thanks for reading! Comments are really appreciated :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you SO MUCH for all of your comments! I can't believe how many I got! So I've decided to continue the story :) I hope you all enjoy this! Thanks for reading!**_

"So he's got two broken ribs, one cracked, and one bruised. He also had a severe concussion and a slight possibility for post-concussion syndrome. Multiple gashes and minor bruise wounds, twisted ankle, and so forth. You said you're a surgeon, right? So you know what to do?" Meredith was silently resisting the urge to shout into the perky nurse's oval face as she repeated the same basic question for the fourth time that day. Did people feel the need to repeat things, just to feel heard?

"Yes," She emphasized, groaning. "I've already told you, I deal with these things all the time," She tapped her foot impatiently, casting her eyes to the side to see Derek fiddling with his thumbs in his wheelchair. He looked unsteady, taking hasty breaths and blinking, scanning the room with his eyes. It had been a few days and he was already in pain often, but hardly ever let on. Meredith had yet to explain to Bailey what was going on, too. She _had _gone home for a day, grabbed a suitcase, packed it, and brought it back with her. The decision was made. She was staying with Derek, to take care of him, and it was settled.

"Alright. You have the follow up appointment dates? The doctor's number?"

"Yes!" Meredith said, louder than she meant to. They were nearing the large glass doors of the hospital, sunlight casting broad rays across the waiting room. People sat around, biting their nails, reading magazines, or just letting their eyes dart nervously around the room. People were chattering nervously, some of them a blubbery mess. Meredith shivered as she took Derek's wheelchair bars in hand. She needed to get out of there. She couldn't be surrounded by a hospital in which she was a visitor, not a doctor. It felt unnatural, and she didn't like it.

Losing control was something she had never wanted to happen. Being in control came with loving work. She could control things there, control people, control procedures. Sure, with some procedures came surprises and unexpected results, but there was a sense of being in control that automatically came with being a surgeon, and she liked it. Patients and visitors, on the other hand, had no control.

"Okay, then, Miss Grey. I must say, I am impressed and grateful towards your care of Doctor Shepherd," She nodded, gesturing towards Derek. _It's DOCTOR Grey, _Meredith wanted to correct her, but she was growing impatient with the whole situation. "He's very lucky that you offered. Y'all stay safe and take it easy, okay?" Meredith lifted her palm behind her head in a brief farewell gesture, before exiting through the sliding doors and out into the fresh air. She took in a breath of relief and smiled to herself. Her hair whipped around her in the crisp wind, and she clasped onto the wheelchair handles tighter than before. "Finally," She breathed heartily, making her way towards the parking lot. Although it was beginning to get dark, it was still sunny.

"What?" Derek chided. His eyes were twinkling, almost innocently.

"Nothing," Meredith clarified sharply, looking down at Derek's crumpled form beneath her. Derek's silence that followed was rather uncomfortable, so Meredith gulped loudly. Her eyes darted across the parking lot until they landed on her dark blue rental car, and she headed in that direction. The wheels crackled against miniscule rocks on the sidewalk as she made her way towards the car, all in awkward silence. Derek tapped his fingers together in an uneven rhythm, making Meredith's nerves flourish. She was going to Derek's house. With Derek. Fumbling for her keys in her pocket, her fingers grazed fabric, then a few coins, then a papery wrapper, until they landed on the cold metal of the keys. They jingled as she pulled them out with trembling hands, trying to land them into the key hole. She shoved it in, uncoordinated, as Derek's voice rang from behind her.

"What, are you nervous?" He joked nonchalantly. Meredith took it as an insult- Meredith Grey didn't get _nervous, _right?

"No!" Meredith's voice said defensively, running her free hand through her hair before yanking the passenger door open. It swung out as far as possible until it was stopped with a little bounce. "Are you in pain?" She quipped back. He cracked a grin.

"Oh, I see how it is." He said in mock-anger.

Meredith scowled with a small smile, then reached for Derek's arm. He clasped his hand around her upper forearm tightly, grimacing as he pulled himself up. She steadied him gently, letting himself teeter a few times back and forth. When he finally seemed to grasp his center of balance he stopped with a huff, and he winced as she helped him lift himself into the seat. A quick bolt of pain spread across his face in a flash, but was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He finally settled himself with a sharp exhale, but his face relaxed and he smiled at her. "You're helpful. I like that in a woman."

Rolling her eyes, she shut the door quickly and rolled the wheelchair back inside in a run. She shoved it barely passed the doors, shouted something to the receptionist, and then ran back out. Rain clouds were beginning to form over the skies that had been sunny moments before. Groaning, she hopped into the small drivers seat and brushed her pants off. "Buckle up," She instructed, shoving the keys into the ignition. The car began to grumble, the engine roaring as it started up.

"Oh, bossy? I like that too," He said with a sly grin, and she scowled as she began to pull out of the parking lot.

"I have a boyfriend," She said firmly, keeping her eyes fixed on the road only. _Don't get distracted. Don't think about what Ryan will say when he finds out about all this. Focus, Meredith. _"I have a boyfriend," She reiterated, as if she was confirming it more to herself than Derek.

"Really…" Derek mused. "Who?"

Meredith shot him a glance as she passed an intersection, trying to maintain her focus. She had never been a bad driver, but after what had happened, she was on the edge with every corner she turned. "His name's Ryan Alexander. He's a surgeon too,"

"Okay, okay," Derek said, pondering something. Meredith paused at a red light, waiting in an awkward silence. She could almost feel Derek staring over at her. "What's his specialty?"

"Uh…" She sighed as the light turned green. She pressed her foot gently on the pedal as she hummed, "Well, currently, it's cardio. He's very hardcore and stuff. Very… serious, you know?"

"Right," Derek chimed with a sigh, resting his head on the cool window.

"How about you? What's your story?" She didn't really want to talk about herself anymore. Her life, although it was so cut and dry, it was twisted to the umpteenth degree.

He let out a small smile from the corner of his mouth, "I was married. We got divorced,"

"Oh…" She trailed off, her mouth dry from a lack of words. "I'm sorry," She didn't have any experience in that, who was she kidding? Although she was in a relationship with a man, work-focused, same interests as her… it wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Don't be. It wasn't meant to be, and I'm glad I got out of a bad relationship." Silence followed again, the car rumbling beneath them. They passed buildings in a flurry, and she followed her directions. She bit her lip, scratched her head, tapped her foot… she wasn't very good with directions.

He watched as she tried to follow the directions she had printed off, struggling a bit. He shrugged, "Let me guide you," With that, he guided her swiftly through an entanglement of trees and forests until they finally reached a slightly barren trailer in the woods, and Meredith couldn't help but to gape. "W-What…?" Melted swirls of green trees blew around as clouds began to creep, crawling into a blanket across the sky.

"This is my house," He said with a small grin. "Well, for the time being. I'm looking for an apartment. But this is where I'm staying."

"It's a…trailer. It's a trailer, Derek!" Meredith shrieked. She was going to stay in a small, metal, tin can… with _him? _She shook her head, "It's so small!"

"It's small, sure. But it's cozy too," Derek wiggled an eyebrow suggestively, and Meredith scowled and rolled her eyes largely, shutting off the car. The buzzing and rumbling came to an abrupt stop.

"I'm not snuggling up anywhere with you," She said sharply. Hopping out of the car and slamming the door, she ran around to the other side, through the sudden downpour of rain that had started when they were in the car. Rain glistened off the leaves that surrounded them, and twigs cracked beneath her feet. She swung open Derek's door for him and eased him out as quickly and as gently as she could, as rain dripped down her face in shiny drops. His hair began to dampen slightly, and she clutched onto him as she helped him inside through the sloshing mud. He was wincing heavily but trying to mask it as much as possible, but Meredith knew what was going on.

When they entered, Meredith sighed with a shaky disgraceful moan. It was small. No, not cozy- it was _small. _She was used to her clean, well-kept, house, warm and dry and under control. Not some metal house in the middle of nowhere. Groaning, she plopped her duffel bag down on the limited amount of floor space that surrounded her feet. Gaping, she gasped, "There's only one bed!"

"Have you ever heard of a thing called _sharing?" _Derek teased, but made his face serious as he added, "No, really. Have you?"

"We're sharing… _that?" _She gasped, shaking her head in frustration. "Why didn't you just come to my house? We have more space… it'd be so much easier!" She kicked her bag across the floor with a grunt.

"I didn't hear you offer anything, did I?" He grumbled.

"Well, I am now. We can't stay here, there's not enough room." She said frankly. It was true, no exceptions. "It's not clean here. I have to look clean for work!" She ran her hands through her hair and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"We can't go now, Meredith," He said coolly, his face straight. "We'll go to your house in a few days. Just let me adapt for a little bit, okay? Work isn't the only thing on this earth, you know…"

Meredith was about to protest but stopped, knowing that it would be no use. She smiled gently at him, "I'm sorry. I'm not usually this~" But her sentence was cut off with the shrill ring of her phone. She whipped it out and glanced at the screen, the bold words displaying _RYAN. _"I've got to take this." She glanced outside and walked out, leaving Derek sitting in a chair and looking over at her. She patted outside under the shelter of the deck and answered it. "Hello?"

"Meredith!" Ryan's voice boomed through the other line, echoing with anger and frustration. Nerves shriveled around her body.

"Uh, hi," She squeaked.

"Where are you? I haven't heard from you in three days! Last time I talked, you told me you had to take care of the guy you hit, and that the charges had been dropped, and… Meredith, _where are you? _What's going on?" He sounded more than angry. A rumble of thunder rattled the sky, and a bolt of lightning quickly followed it.

"I… I'm at his house," She sucked in her breath tightly, but there was silence on the other line, "I agreed to take care of him during his recovery. He doesn't have any loved ones, and he is all alone. He's really injured, and it would just be cruel to expect him to take care~"

"You know what, Meredith? _Stop! _You're staying at his _house?" _

"Yes, Ryan. It's…nothing's happening or anything like that. I just agreed to help him. He dropped the charges and that saved us so much… can you not see that?" She felt like crying as she stomped her foot and paced, frustrated. Why didn't he understand? "I'm trying to help him!"

"Okay, then, what about work? You missed an important meeting that's supposed to determine the way your career will go, and then you just disappear for days from everything?"

"I-I texted Bailey, okay? She~"

"No, it's _not okay! _What you're doing isn't good. You have more important things to focus on, like your career! Your work! And what about me? I haven't seen you in days, Meredith! And yet you're at some guys house."

"He's injured, Ryan!" She cried through frustrated tears. "He's all alone. He dropped the charges- thousands of dollars- and possibly even jail time for me. This is the least I can do. He's a surgeon, Ryan. He's new in town and was going to start at Seattle Grace, but I hit him, and now he's… I just… I need to help. Please, let me do this, Ryan! Please!"

There was a pause on the other line, and at first Meredith had thought he'd hung up. She bit her lip in anger as he added briskly, "Sorry. Just, come home soon. See you at work, right?"

"In a few days, right," She tried to throw in angrily, but the line went dead before she could say anything. She pulled her cell phone away from her ear and stared at it, the screen that showed the call now disappearing into the normal wallpaper. She blinked and bit her lip, trembling as she stuffed it back into her pocket. Just last week he had told her he loved her, and now their relationship was falling apart.

After a few moments of staying outside, she got fed up with the thick humidity and stumbled back inside. Derek had managed to work himself into the bed, laying under the covers messily. He stared at her and she stared back, sighing roughly and pulling her hair back into a tight ponytail. She wiped at her eyes and turned away slightly, sniffling quietly and looking down at her fingers. "Are you okay?" His voice cut quietly through the pitter-patter of rain. For once, it didn't include a hint of cockiness or flirtation.

She hesitated, and then glanced at him. He looked sincere, he really did. His eyes had grown soft and gentle, and his smirk had disappeared. His eyebrows were furrowed together in worry and concern, and she couldn't help but to smile gently, "My boyfriend."

"The hardcore, serious one?"

"Yeah," She paused with a sigh, "That one."

"Maybe he'll come around," He tried optimistically.

"Maybe," She agreed softly, letting out a small sigh of distress and reaching into her suitcase. Her fingertips reached the soft, smooth walls of one of the various pill bottles that the doctors had given her. "Are you in any pain?" He didn't answer, "You're right, stupid question. How bad is the pain?"

"Uh…" He hesitated, "An eight,"

"That bad?" She frowned largely, then grasped the bottle of pain meds and pulled it out. His eyes flickered at them, and then he scowled.

"I don't need those,"

"Yes, you do." She said firmly, padding over to the sink to fill a cup with water. She did, and walked back over to Derek. She sat down at the foot of the bed, and it squeaked under the shift of weight. She handed him three white pills and he reluctantly took them, popping them into his mouth. She nodded approvingly, then handed him the cup of water. He gulped it down, his adams apple bobbing in his throat. He handed it back to her, empty, and took a gasp of air. She nodded at him with a small smile, got up, and put it back. Outside, rain was in a full downpour, and it dripped off of the trailer and was soaking the ground. Mud was everywhere. She looked back over at him and he smiled, his eyes crinkling up in contentment.

"Thanks," He said gently, his smile warming up the entire room. "Thanks… for doing this."

_**A/N: So, what do you think? Comments = motivation! Thanks so much for reading, and Meredith and Derek are in for a bumpy ride! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thanks so much for your comments and thank you for the support! They have really been encouraging, and motivate me to write. So thank you, and enjoy this chapter! **_

"So…" Derek trailed off. They were on day two of staying in the trailer, and rain pattered outside. It hit the metal outside with no specific rhythm, splattering against the top and dripped down the sides leaving streaks of precipitation in it's squiggly path. He sat on the small couch-like-chair. "What's the real 'Meredith Grey' like, hmm?"

Meredith scowled, and clutched tighter to the bucket she was grasping between her fingertips. There, of course, was a leak in the ceiling, and it was almost filled up. Again. It dripped slowly and menacingly into the bucket. _Drip, drip, drip. _Outside, mud sloshed and rain sprayed. Leaves glistened with bubbles of water. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, who are you? What do you do? What are you parents like? What's your favorite color? It's not rocket science, Mer," He chuckled, using his newfound nickname for her. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed.

"You don't want to know that stuff."

"Oh, a suspicious past? I like it," He tried, hoping for a laugh. Nothing. "But seriously. You're, like, babysitting me, I deserve to get to know a little details. I won't hold anything against you, I promise."

Meredith put her hands up in surrender, losing the battle. It _was _the guy who dropped her charges and helped her erase the event. It _was _the guy who had cut her a break. It was the least she could do, right? "Well, my name's Meredith Grey. I'm a surgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital. I either want to specialize in trauma or neurosurgery. My favorite color is dark purple… or gray. Gray's a good color. Uh…"

"Parents?" He pried.

"No, that stuff's too complicated," She mumbled, waving the subject off with her hand. He wasn't convinced.

"Come on, it can't be too bad. No judging, remember?"

Meredith couldn't deny his feeble supplication. "Fine, Derek. You're so difficult. My mother is Ellis Grey. I'm sure you know about her…" She rolled her blue eyes to the ceiling, hoping to find something she could focus on. "And my father… he… We don't really talk anymore. He lives somewhere in Seattle, with a new family."

Derek's eyes drew together in concern, "What?"

"My parents aren't together, alright?" She was growing impatient. She never told anyone details about her unstable family life, and he was asking for a lot.

"Do you talk to your mother?" He said gently, reflecting off of her angry ranting. The rain increased intensity outside, rapping louder on the roof than before. Meredith cast her eyes downward.

"She…uh…no," She finally answered. That was just too much information. Meredith's mother Ellis was slowly deteriorating in a home, alzheimers taking its vicious toll. She stopped clinging to the bucket and twisted her fingers nervously instead. Derek could obviously sense that there was tension masking the delicate subject, so he finally chose to stop. Giving up, he sighed and looked out the window, into the near dripping forest. The clouds were gray, covering up the sun and blocking it from view. She quickly changed the subject, turning the questions onto him, "So, who is this 'Derek Shepherd'?" She mocked. He rolled his eyes with a slight chuckle. "What does he like to do? What's _his _family life? Why did _he _come to Seattle, mmm?" The dripping rain was picking up speed, loudly echoing in the bucket. She held onto it tightly.

"Ha. Funny," He grumbled with a sigh. "I'm Derek Shepherd. I'm a Neurosurgical attending. I have a mom and four sisters, all of which call me constantly. I like to camp, fish, and make trout. If you want, I'll make some trout for _you _someday…" He laughed and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Gee, thanks. I just might take you up on that offer once I don't have to balance you so you can _walk," _She teased back. The drops that pounded the bucket were coming faster, so she held it steady.

"Mean, mean," He sighed, his eyes glimmering. There was a paused that simmered in the damp air.

"Why did you come to Seattle?" She demanded.

"I used to live in New York."

"You realize that really doesn't answer the question, right?"

"Well…" He scowled, letting his gaze drift out the window again. "I just needed a change."

"What sort of change?" She pried, curiosity blanketing atop of her. She held the bucket firmer in her grasp, reflecting the tension that had entered the room.

"Things weren't working out in New York, alright?" He grumbled, still clearly avoiding the question. Meredith wasn't in the mood to be patient. She had cleaned his trailer the moment she arrived from work. "And, I have a thing for ferryboats."

"What do you mean?" She demanded, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. The bucket was filling.

"Well, there are supposedly a lot of ferryboats here, so I~"

"I meant why things weren't working out!"

"Fine!" He muttered. It was _his _turn to give up, apparently. Meredith leaned forward, crossing her legs in front of her. Her muscles flexed as she pressed onto her legs for a vague sense of support. "I was married, in New York. My wife Addison and I worked there for a while. Things kind of… fell apart. We got a divorce, and so I moved here. They had a prestigious Neurosurgery program, and I know the Chief of Surgery."

Meredith was slightly taken aback by the sudden, abrupt news. She also didn't know how to react. Anyone who knew Meredith knew she wasn't very skilled at relationships herself. Ryan had been her longest lasting one, and even she could feel their once-strong, work focused, bond beginning to fade away. She didn't like to think about it. Without having him, she'd just have work. And if she only had work, she'd be _more _than just a workaholic. She had always wanted to be less centered on work, but it was hard. Work was what she _knew. _"Oh," She whispered, fiddling with the bucket that was now pounding with rain. It thumped against the bottom, causing it to skitter about. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He waved the issue away with his hand and sighed, "Don't be, really. It wasn't working out, it really wasn't. Even my mother had known it wasn't the right relationship. Over time, things just… dissolved away from us. I don't know."

"Dissolved? What do you mean?" Meredith was suddenly curious. Was her relationship 'dissolving?'

"Things happened," He said darkly and abruptly, signifying that it was the end of that subject matter. He eyed the bucket thumping with rain, that was then almost filled up. "How badly is the roof leaking? I had meant to fix that…"

Sure you had. "Pretty decently. It seems like it keeps getting bigger as the rain continues to pour."

"Does Seattle rain a lot?"

"Is that even a question?" Meredith countered with a friendly laugh. He scowled jokingly back at her, but broke up the silence with a smile.

He had a very nice smile…

"Sorry. People just haven't been the most… friendly, around here. It's awfully cold."

"What do you mean, cold? It's just clammy. And rainy, very rainy…"

"I meant the people," He clarified. Meredith laughed.

"Right. I knew that," She added defensively. Seeing that the bucket was beginning to fill, she snapped back to reality. She hadn't really been focusing that well on the obvious problem. She cursed under her breath as she noticed that the drops that toppled from the ceiling had grown in size. "Do you have any more buckets?" She tried desperately, watching as the drops splashed into the water.

"Yeah, right under the sink," Derek replied coolly, gesturing weakly to the cabinet underneath the sink. Meredith nodded and used her one free hand to open it up, letting her eyes cast upon a view of messy, unorganized buckets and cleaning supplies. She must have forgotten to clean it that day. She yanked a random one out, sending a few plastic containers clattering out along with it. Ignoring Derek's frown, she swiftly switched the filled, yellow bucket sloshing to the brim with water with the dirty brown bucket. The water made new sounds as it hit on the base of the empty bucket. It was more of a splattering noise than a plopping noise, like before, and it was no longer soothing. It brimmed the qualification of 'obnoxious.'

"I'm just going to dump this outside."

"Mer, it's pouring out," Derek said, glancing to the waterfall of rain that fell in messy sheets outside. Meredith shrugged.

"I'm not the wicked witch. It's not like I'll melt or anything. I'll just be out for a second." She eased herself up from her sitting position, hearing her bones crack with the new movement, and yanked on her black rain boots. She leaned on the wall for support, grasping the handle of the bucket in between her fingers. Derek cautioned her more.

"Be careful, there is a lot of mud out there."

"I'll be fine!"

"It's also chilly. Do you want to put on a coat or something?"

"Derek, I'll be _fine! _Lets keep in mind who the patient is," She snapped, whipping the trailer door open. A gust of cool air greeted her, rushing into her lungs. She licked her lips, now dry, and gasped, pulling the bucket into her hands and lugging it out the door. She shoved it shut behind her.

Thunder roared and lightning rippled against the gray skies. She was beginning to get soaked, rain seeping through her sweater and dark jeans. Her boots sloshed in the mud, and tiny sticks and leaves poked through the watery brown mixture. She swung the bucket dramatically, which was a lot heavier than she expected.

When she had yanked the unexpected weight back, she hadn't expected how heavy it had been. It pulled her arm back in an invisible force, and before she could control it, it pulled her back so rapidly that she lost her balance. The inevitable gravity yanked her back and she fell, hard, onto her back. Mud splashed around her as she landed, sending it upward into the storm. She gasped despite herself, shaking as she felt the cold mud seep through her back. It was splattered everywhere, even within the shiny locks of her hair.

She scrambled to her feet, her shoes wiping and rubbing messily against the slippery pools of mud. Her palms squashed into the brown, squishy mixture of dirt and rain. She stood up shakily, leaving the dirty bucket behind as she ran back to the trailer. Derek's face was wide and pressed up against the glass, leaving his skin looking abnormally stretchy and distorted. She yanked open the door and was met by a shivery gust of warm air, and she shut it behind her. She dripped with mud that gathered onto the carpet. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she stormed straight into the uncomfortably small bathroom and hopped into the spray of the shower.

The water switched to cold in a matter of minutes, leaving her just enough time to rinse off the chunks of mud that stuck in her hair and made brown patterns across her body. She was happy enough that the plumbing was actually working, something Derek had warned her about. He had yet to take a shower, but she had.

She was assuming that Derek was slightly embarrassed. In order for him to be able to shower, or change his shirt, that meant he needed Meredith's help. He was putting it off as **much **as possible, but Meredith knew that couldn't go on much longer. She had made him promise he'd shower later that night. Or, for goodness sake, at least change his shirt.

She finished her shower and yanked fresh clothes on. Meredith ran a comb through her hair messily, slightly angry about what had happened. She should've not gone out. Or something. Humiliation hit her in a large wave.

She opened the door cautiously, seeing Derek sitting in the same awkward position as before. He just stared at her. She turned around, teeth chattering, and dumped her clothes in the hamper. "How's the mud?" He asked, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Oh, don't _even…" _She growled, working her way to check out the bucket. It was only halfway full, thankfully. She didn't know what she would do the next time it filled.

"No, but seriously. You looked nice and cozy covered in mud," He half-joked. She pulled a water bottle from out of the cabinet and undid the cap, bringing it to her lips and taking a grateful sip.

"Whatever," She retorted, out of comebacks.

Then, without warning, he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. He burst out into a fit of hysteria, slapping his knees for effect and clapping. Meredith rolled her eyes, standing stiffly… until she noticed the pained expression that flooded his face abruptly. He began to cough and wheeze. Rushing to his side, she put her hand on his back, "Derek, are you okay? What's wrong?" A sense of panic, that she couldn't explain, rushed upon her. She had fear thumping in her heart.

He pointed to his chest and coughed some more, clutching his arms in pain. "Ribs…hurt…" He coughed out, pain strained deeply within his voice. She ran her fingers up and down his back, letting herself exhale. It was just pain. With all the damage he had done to his ribs, he wasn't supposed to laugh that much. Nothing to be worried about, until it got more serious.

She soothed him, "Shhh, just breathe, Derek." But breathing didn't help. His body shuddered in sheer pain and he leaned forward weakly, his ribs creating a hallow ache within his chest. They seared with pain that radiated outwards from his chest. Meredith stared at him, involuntary tears forming in the corner of his eyes, merely from the stress of the coughing. She rubbed his back. "You're okay."

She rushed over to the bathroom and rummaged through the sink cabinet through an array of pills. When she finally reached the painkillers she grasped it. She went back out to him and he gulped the pills down, following with large gulps of Meredith's fresh water bottle. In moments his wheezing calmed down and he breathed, his arms still wrapped tightly around his own chest. All he wanted was control. "Don't…worry…I'm…fine…" He coughed weakly, rubbing his arms in a weak effort to comfort himself.

"I know you are," She whispered. Derek sure didn't want his pride hurt; that was for sure.

"Thanks," He mumbled back, finally gaining control of his own body. He sat back up, depending on the back of the chair fully for support, and she looked down at him.

"Of course, Derek," She responded simply. She guessed that the sudden burst of movement and pain he experienced would cause a flare up for discomfort for a while. They were in for a long night.

_**A/N: So, what did you think? Comments **_**really **_**are appreciated, so if you could leave your feedback, that would be awesome. The next chapter should be about Meredith and Derek's first really tough night dealing with Derek's injuries, and there should be some sweet Mer & Der moments in it as well.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait! Lack of comments = low motivation. So, yeah. I do hope you enjoy this chapter, though. :) Thanks for reading!**_

"Derek, come on. Enough stalling. I'm serious," Meredith demanded. She tapped her foot, looking up at him with an exasperated glance spread across her face. She glared at him, but he rolled his eyes.

They had been trying for the last fifteen minutes to get Derek to take his shirt off. All Meredith needed to do was help him out so he could shower and possibly smell normal. "This isn't necessary. I can go another day without one," He hummed, avoiding her gaze.

"You know soap…cleanliness… hygiene? These are all very good things. Things that other people tend to like," She urged gently. "Jut let me help you with~"

"Meredith, I swear. I'll do it tomorrow, alright? I'm tired…" He put on his best innocent face. "And I'm sore. Yeah. Really, really sore."

"You know what would help that?" Meredith hissed. "A shower. That's what would help it."

"No, it wouldn't," Derek argued. Meredith ran her hands through her hair in frustration and shook her head.

"You know what? Fine. I don't know if this is a stupid pride thing, or whatever. You need to get over yourself. Alright? Get over yourself, like, right now," She snapped. She was becoming inpatient. Not only did she have to go to work early the next morning, but Derek was incredibly stubborn. She was exhausted. She knew that the night was going to be long enough by itself, and he wasn't making it any easier.

"No, it's not a… I… Ugh," He grumbled. He glared at her. She glared back.

"Derek, I'm not joking. Do you not want my help? I have to be at work by six tomorrow morning. I'm trying, I really am. But you're not making it easy. Do you understand that?" She pleaded, anger rumbling from her vocal chords. He hesitated, but didn't say anything. She tried taking a gentler approach, "Derek, please. It's not like you're humiliating yourself. There's no need to be self-conscious."

He grumbled something in a feeble argument but stopped and retorted, "Fine."

"Okay," She chuckled, "Honestly, you're kind of ridiculous. I mean, we know each other pretty well. I don't see what your problem is. It's just a shirt. And some bandages."

"Right," He grumbled. It was something more to him. He was Derek Shepherd. Free-spirited, completely confident, cocky, brave. He lived brightly, freely, with no boundaries. He didn't take insults. He always had a comeback. But thinking that he needed help to merely take his shirt off made him feel more like helpless…defenseless…weak. It made him feel like all his pride shriveled off of him in an instant.

"You just need to lose that heap of an ego," Meredith scolded quietly, talking more to herself than him. She reached, with trembling fingers, to the bottom hem of his cotton, thin grey t-shirt. Her fingers clasped the hem, fingering each little stitch. She gathered the fabric in her hands, then pulled upwards, towards his head. His shirt folded over and it lifted up. "Raise your arms," She ordered. He did as he was told reluctantly, lifting his hands up high. He could feel the burst of air as it rushed towards him, slipping into his skin. He shivered, and goose bumps rose as he broke free of the shirt.

"There we go," Meredith started as she pulled the shirt away, but stopped. Breathless. She was staring, wide-eyed, at Derek's chest.

If you took away the surgical bandage, it would have been the most perfect chest she had ever seen. She reached up and fingered the top of the bandage, where it stuck to his skin softly. She let her fingers linger there, dancing along his smooth, hot skin. Her breath caught in her throat. "I…" She murmured, all her words having escaped her vocabulary. She gulped, looking up at him. They were isolated in their own world, their gazes locked in a heavy trance. Derek was lost in his own thoughts, looking into the piercing blue swirl of her light aqua eyes. They leaned in closer… closer…

As if they returned to the glum reality, Derek blinked and backed up. Meredith did the same, letting out a little gasp. She bumped her elbow into the ledge of the small sink and dishes clattered as they fell in noisily. Startled, she whirled around, sending her arm flying into Derek's chest. Derek howled as her arm smacked his injuries, and he doubled over.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so… I'm so sorry!" Meredith cried, staying a safe distance from him but still being caring enough. She really did care, she just couldn't risk anything happening like that again. She gulped, looking down at her own shaking hands.

"It's fine…" He murmured between staggered gasps, trying to catch his breath. Meredith stared distantly, waiting for him to stand up before she pulled the bandage off effortlessly. She let her eyes stray anywhere, avoiding his chest that stood right in front of her.

"Can you… can you get to the shower okay?" She mumbled, dazed.

"Yes!" He stuttered, shuffling over there himself.

"O-Okay good. I'm sorry. I need to… run home for a few minutes. I think… Ryan might be wondering… I haven't seen him in a while. Will you be okay here for a little…" She stepped away. "…a little while?"

"I'll be fine," He muttered hoarsely. She pulled on her black coat and grabbed her keys, and the cool metal clanged in her hand. She clutched to them tightly, as the grooves dug into her palms.

"I won't be gone for long," She breathed, heading out the door and into the pouring rain. The sky was dark and she fumbled messily until she was able to get to the car, sticking her keys in with trembling hands. Her breaths were quick and uneven, nervous and breathless. She started the car and the engine rumbled to life, roaring as she pulled out of the area, making her way to her house.

Oh her phone, there displayed many unanswered texts from Ryan, angry demands of where she'd been. She gulped. Why was she going there? She had managed to avoid him for days… well, technically she physically avoided him. He demanded answers from her; she just wouldn't give them to him.

She knew why she was driving to him. She needed confirmation. She had almost kissed Derek.

She had almost kissed Derek.

She gulped and pressed her foot down harder onto the pedal, tension building into a nervous spasm filling her body. She clenched her teeth and grinded them together as she squinted to see past the rain drops that glided down her windshield. City lights flickered in the distance.

She tapped on the steering wheel with her free finger as she neared the apartment she spent half her time at with Ryan. She hadn't officially moved out of her house, she just spent half her time there with him. It was a dimly lit apartment on the upscale outskirts of the brightly lit city, furnished with modern stainless steel appliances and modern art. It had always given off a 'cold' feeling to Meredith, more or less, not very homey. Then again, she never had the most stable home life herself. How would she know?

She walked up the steps to apartment quietly, dripping, cold and shivering. She licked her lips and opened the door, clasping the cool metal handle and pushing down until it released. She didn't bother knocking as she entered, shutting the door quietly behind herself. She took a deep breath and entered hesitantly, her steps padding quietly against the shiny, deep wood floors. She called out, her voice shaking, "Ryan? It's me, it's Meredith." No response, "Are you here?"

She shakily drifted into the kitchen, where some classical music was playing in a slow hum. The smell of chicken wafted up towards the ceiling, and Meredith could smell it's distinct seasoning he had always used on it. Sure enough, he was there, his tall form leaning over the stove as he messed around with a clump of meat that sizzled in it. "Ryan?" She mumbled meekly. He lifted his head and as soon as he laid his sight on her, he widened his eyes. The music stopped abruptly. "Uh, hi."

He didn't say anything at first. All he did was gape, shocked by the very sight that lay before his eyes. He put his hands on his head, pulling them through his short, brown hair. His dark eyes were scrunched up in a mask of thick confusion. When he finally did speak, it was a jumble of anger and impatience, "You've been gone. For five days."

"Yes, I know. But I'm…" She gulped.

"You've been gone for five days and you come, showing up here, and just say _hi?" _He growled at her. He switched off the stove in an effortless move of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," She said firmly, but her voice was quivering. She stood up straighter, "This whole thing has been pretty busy, you know?"

"Sadly…" He said numbly, "…I don't even understand what 'this whole thing' is. Why? Because you won't talk to me."

"You know what happened," Meredith argued. "I explained it to you. I should be able to go off and do what I need to do. I called you, I really did. Remember?"

"Oh, don't even give me that," He scowled at her, speaking in a tone that shook her being. "You left me to go off and tend to some guy. You're staying at his house. You threw the next big step of your career away. It's like… It's like you have no priorities in your life."

"Priorities?" She snapped, "I have priorities! Sometimes things happen, Ryan. Things like this happened and there's nothing you can do to stop it, so you just have to help it run it's course."

"Not when you have people depending on you!" He shouted. The sudden intensity of his voice startled her, and she took a few steps backwards. She gulped and brought her hands together, clasping them tightly around her purse handle. "You have me. And you have your career. Do you remember what that is, Meredith? Do you?"

She stiffened, "That's a stupid question. Of course I do. I'm good at what I do, Ryan."

"Maybe. But you're not good at keeping your career going. You bailed on the meeting~"

"I got in a **car accident!" **

"You disappeared…"

"I explained to you what was going on. He needed help!" She cried in disbelief. Why was he doing this? She had come there to be friendly, have a drink, and be reassured that she was already with someone. The only thing she had been reassured of was how unsteady their relationship had become.

"So you leave me for him," He murmured fiercely. He glared at her. "You left everyone, just so you could help him. He could get by fine on his own!"

"No, he couldn't!" Meredith protested, her voice raising gradually. "We got in a car accident. You're getting mad at me for making things right!"

"Oh really?" He snarled. Meredith gulped. "Well now, who caused the accident in the first place?"

The words stung. Meredith could feel tears begin to prick in the corners of her eyes. "You didn't just say that," She whispered.

"Oh, but I did," He snapped, as if he was totally unaware of her feelings. She began to back up. "Go ahead. Run away. Just like you always do, right? It's what works for you… right?" He pressed. His rudeness was seeping into her pores, heavy and dry. She winced at his words.

"No… I mean yes… I mean…" She stuttered, at a loss. She tried to form syllables, but her tongue felt like a rolling mass of goop. She took a deep swallow and forced her eyes to glare into Ryan's as she spat, "Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." He moved closer to her. "You think you're so great. I'm trying to help someone, and you're shutting me down. All you can talk to me about is work, while I'm trying to make someone's like a little easier. I tried to call you and explain what was going on, but you wouldn't have it, would you?"

Ryan's expression that rolled across his face went blank, but in a moment, he flew his hand across her face. The sting of skin-against-skin hit her, and her cheek was flaming and throbbing. She grabbed it instinctively, a look of horror and fear in her eyes. Ryan's expression glanced at his shaking hand, it's palm read from the impact. His expression dropped. "Meredith…"

"No!" She shouted, the tears rolling before she could suppress them. She drew her hand across her cheeks, trying to get rid of them. She then ran, whirling around and flying down the staircase, fat tears falling from her cheeks in a waterfall. She hopped in her car and drove swiftly, racing against the hard pats of rain as it slapped against the cool glass. The moment with Ryan replayed in her head over and over again, only causing her to shudder and break down once more. Ryan was the one thing she had besides work. Their relationship was more than falling apart. It was tumbling down precipitous peaks, rolling down faster than she could push it back up. Ryan proved to Meredith that work wasn't all she was good for.

Was he gone?

She drove madly until she reached the bleary parking site of the trailer, stepping out into the mud and shivering. Her tears continued to fall until they matched the rain that dribbled down her face, dripping from the wet pieces of hair that matted her forehead. She drew in deep breaths but they ended up crumbling to pieces in her throat.

She entered the trailer wordlessly.

Derek sat on the bed, finishing pulling on his flannel pajama pants. He looked up at her, eyes meeting her suffocating gaze, and his smile fell instantly. Struggling to stand up he hobbled over to her, his voice dipping low and dry as he frantically asked, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving wet, glimmering trails. She talked through a voice thick with unwelcome globs of tears. "I-I was wrong. He wasn't there for me. I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have…" Her breath caught noisily in her throat. "I shouldn't have gone, Derek. I shouldn't have gone."

Before she could understand what she was doing, she collapsed into him, heaving sobs, letting tears dribble down his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, gently swaying, keeping her enveloped in a thick warmth. She sniffled and sobbed, muffled by his embrace, and she clutched to him like a life vest. "I don't want t-to end up a-alone," She cried. "W-work can't b-be all that I'm g-good for… I… I…"

"Shhh…" He whispered, soothing her. "It's going to be alright. You're okay. You're okay. Breathe, Mer."

She took staggered breaths that caught in her throat constantly, restricting her oxygen. She sniffled and whimpered against him, savoring the moment of peace she finally had. His hands ran up and down her back, in a comforting, simple gesture. She shivered. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"N-No," She gasped, gathering herself. He nodded into her hair.

"Okay," He whispered gently. She shut her eyes. "Just breathe. It's okay. You're not alone. I'm right here."

And that was all she needed to know.

_**A/N: So, what did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? …And all the rest. Thanks for reading guys! PLEASE comment!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I am SO SORRY about the wait! I really am! I've been busy, so I apologize! Thank you so much to those who are still reading!**_

"Meredith?" No response. "Meredith?" No response. Derek paused, then shouted, "MEREDITH!"

Meredith finally lifted her eyes from the scrolling blackberry screen to meet his gaze, smiling briefly then furiously demanding, "What, Derek?"

"Do you ever _not _work? You've been looking at that blackberry for the last two hours!"

"It's important!" She insisted dryly.

"Right…" He said, rolling his eyes. Meredith smiled at him stoutly and shut it off, prideful as she slammed it down on the table.

"Happy?" She grumbled. Derek smiled and shook his head.

"Sure, sure, whatever." He said contently, resting his head against his pillow. It was the early morning, and the dawn crept slowly across the sky. The trailer window displayed barely how the sun was peaking over the mountains in the distance. The outside hummed with nature and light and aliveness.

"You're so picky," She commented lazily, getting up to start the coffee. It hummed when she clicked the button.

"Well, it's hard not to be when you're so freakishly work oriented," He retorted smartly, chuckling to himself. Meredith rolled her eyes at him and laughed despite herself. "Don't you have _any _fun, woman?"

"Woman? Is that what you're referring to me as now?" She questioned. He shrugged his shoulders. "Well then… Yes, I do have fun. I go out to the bar every once in a while. And drink. Tequila, and lots of it."

"Ah, so you're _that _kind of girl?"

"I beg your pardon?" She gasped with a giggle. "What exactly are you implying?"

"The kind of girl that gets drunk with any sort of guy, and finds herself getting in the back of a cab of that guy, and the next morning you wake up, your whole body a hollow reminder of regrets?" He asked. Meredith held back a laugh. "Mer, I'm being serious."

"I know you are," She sighed quietly. "I know you are." There was a breathless silence that followed, the only small sound that could be heard were the birds chirping outside as the sun began to rise. She could hear various splashes that seemed like floods, she could hear leaves rustling softly along them. "Well, than what exactly are you? I mean, what type of guy are you then? If I'm just that girl in the bar?" She glared at him.

"Oh, me?" A smile curled at the edges of his lips. "I like commitment. Relationships. All that jazz, you know? I think it's good."

"You do?"

"I do."

"Well…" She ventured softly. She didn't have anything else to say. No syllables came to her lips at all, and she just stood there blinking. He looked up at the ceiling. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"What can you make?" He replied, trading a question for a question. He narrowed her eyes, "I mean, _can _you make **anything?" **Meredith gasped and rolled her eyes at him tentatively.

"Nice Derek, real nice. I'm here, catering to your every need, and that's what you say? That my cooking is bad?" He paused, looking up at the ceiling again. She threw the dishrag she had in her hand at him. "Gosh! I can make… cereal. Yeah."

"Oh, so those are my options?" He scoffed gently. She sent him a death glare, and he put his hands up in the effigy of surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll have some cereal, then. Thank you Meredith."

She nodded promptly and stuck out her tongue at him, turning to face the small counter that rested next to the sink. The bowl clattered as it smacked against the hard surface. She shimmied a spare bowl of cereal out of the miniature cabinet, its contents rustling inside the bag as she pulled. "I think you should practice walking today. You know, on your own. You're really unsteady, and I know it's hard with the pain, but I think it's important."

He shrugged, "Fine."

"That's all you have to say? Fine?" She flashed him a glance briefly before handing him his cereal. He took it, nodding happily and gratefully.

"Well, I mean if you think I should, I'll do it." He pondered for a moment, "Walking _is _an important skill, you know. Maybe I'll try right now!" He got overenthusiastic and began craning his upper body up with his free hand, but Meredith smiled gently at him and pressed her palm against his chest, easing him back down.

"Wait, Derek. You should eat first. Get a **little **energy, okay?" She said quietly, reassuringly. He huffed then nodded, digging into his cereal. She could hear him chomp on the fiber-filled flakes. He shoved it all down his throat as fast as he could, then thrusting the bowl back at her, insisting.

"Okay! Lets do this."

"Whatever, Derek," Meredith chuckled softly, grabbing the bowl and dropping it with a thud into the sink. She returned to him, "How do you want to do this?" He paused, then got a smile that crept across his face. He was thinking dirty. Meredith scowled openly at him, "Dirty, Derek! I mean, how do you want to walk? I can help you up or whatever." Derek sighed and nodded. Meredith reached, placing her hands in the crooks of his armpits and helping him stagger to his feet. He stood, teetering, as Meredith let go, shakily leaning on the wall and taking a deep breath. "There, that's good, Derek!"

He rolled his eyes at her feeble, hearty encouragements. "It's called standing."

"It's still progress," She observed. He kept his eyes down. "Look at me. I'm the dark and twisty one, and I'm being all happy, perky, 'you can do it!' girl. So you know what? Go along with it, mister!"

He sighed at her. "Fine…" He clapped his hands together, and in a high pitched, effigy-of-a-cheerleader voice, he cheered, "YAY!"

"There we go," She said with a laugh. She backed up a few steps in the trailer, heading towards the tiny makeshift couch/bench. She made a gesture, the kind of gesture trying to encourage him to come towards her. "Come over here, Derek."

"I'm not a dog," He retorted, taking a few wobbly steps.

"Try to stand straight," She corrected gently. "That's why we're doing this. We want you to walk **normally. **Okay?"

"Okay," He said, sighing shakily as he regained his composure. "Okay." He took a few sure, steady steps, trying to keep a hold of his balance. He walked all the way towards her, a proud smile creeping across his lips. Meredith grasped his upper forearms, smiling at him steadily.

"That's it!" She looked around, thinking of something that would prove to be more challenging.

"You wouldn't think walking when you have barely any upper body strength would be hard, but it actually really is," He laughed despite himself.

"I know!" She explained out loud. Derek eyed her. "Down the trailer's stairs!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea…" He trailed off, suddenly feeling uneasy on his own feet.

"Don't be silly, Derek. You can do it. I know you usually use your hands to help distribute your weight evenly. But stairs will be a challenge, and challenges will be good for your recovery. Okay?" She didn't respond before she smiled and hopped down the stairs, heading outside. She flung the door open, casting a chilly burst of air to ripple across her skin. Goose bumps raised on her arms and she went to the base of the stairs, looking up at him. "It's only a few steps, you can do it!"

"Meredith…" He began to protest softly, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was being so supportive, why crush that?

He took a few steady steps towards the staircase, then braced himself. He tried his best to tighten his muscles in his core enough to keep himself steady on his feet. With every nerve on end he took an anxious step towards the first dip, but the sudden shift in his weight caught him off balance. He stumbled, and before he could catch himself on the doorframe, he fell, letting out a cry of agony as his upper body twisted.

"Derek! Oh!" She called out in surprise as he collapsed into her arms weakly, a pained expression masking his face. Her caught him in the crook of her elbows, trying her best to hold him up supportively. He whimpered and lost track of his footing, falling completely into her and crying out in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid some of the overwhelming pain that radiated from his chest. "You're okay," She whispered quietly, feeling awful about what happened. Did she push him too hard?

When he opened his eyes, he faced Meredith. He was inches away from her. He could feel her hot breath hit his cheeks, and he pursed his lips. Their eyes met, locked in a gaze that was invariably passionate. He blinked. Her icy blue eyes blinked open and shut twice. They neared closer… closer… Everything around Derek blurred, the only focal point being Meredith.

Their lips met, as if in slow motion, and then they kissed.

_**A/N: So, that was REALLY short. Like, REALLY short. BUT, something big happened (that we will go into more detail about in the next chapter) and wham. There is it. I'll try to update especially soon for you guys! Thanks for reading! Comments are REALLY appreciated! **_

_**In the next chapter: **_

"_Get OFF of me!" She shouted at him in disbelief and shock, her lips still tingling from the sudden connection they shared. She shoved him and he backed up, staring into nothing. "You…You just kissed me!" She felt tears prick at her eyes. "Derek, you kissed me! I can't…" Derek looked at her, blinking, running his tongue across his lips, remembering the moment. She was a whole mess of mixed emotions. Furious and confused. What just happened? _


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait! More reviews usually = quicker updates… Just saying! Hope you enjoy the update, thanks for reading!**_

Their lips met in a puzzle-piece type fit, pressing together in a perfect lock. Meredith, although hesitant at first, felt her eyelids shut close in a fluttery motion. Before she knew it the entire world had disappeared around them, and it was just her and Derek, everything else disappearing, falling away into the distance. She felt Derek's warm, salty lips press against hers, and before she knew it her hands were wrapped around his neck and his hands were tangled in the back of her silky hair. All the distractions dissolved, leaving Meredith and Derek in a romantic tunnel vision. The radiating shock of the kiss caught her off guard, but her nerves and shock melted away the moment she felt his hands roam up and down her back.

Their romantic tunnel of solitude suddenly disappeared. Meredith blinked her eyes open, opening up into an oval displaying Derek's face.

Derek's face.

Was kissing _her. _

She blinked again, hoping that what had just happened had just been a silvery illusion caused by delirium of being crammed in the small trailer for so long. But it was no illusion. She had just kissed Derek Shepherd. "Get OFF of me!" She shouted at him in disbelief and shock, her lips still tingling from the sudden connection they shared. She shoved him and he backed up, staring into nothing. "You…you just kissed me!" She felt tears prick at her eyes. "Derek, you kissed me! I can't…" Derek looked at her, blinking, running his tongue across his lips, savoring the moment. She was a whole mess of mixed emotions. Furious and confused… What just happened?

"I…" He was about to defend himself, but was at a dry and eerie loss of words. He trailed off and stared at her, stared at the woman he had just kissed. The woman he wasn't supposed to kiss, but did anyway, and it felt… amazing. "I…" He tried again, but he came up dry. He licked his lips, still tasting her sweet lips.

"You kissed me!" She yelled at him. Tears of frustration gathered in the corners of her eyes and blurred her vision, so she blinked furiously. "I can't… You just…"

It took him a minute to finally gather the strength to say something, but when he did, he eyed her, his blue irises piercing a hole in her heart. "Did you feel it?"

"Feel WHAT?" She yelled furiously. She had given herself one rule. It was not to kiss him, not to get too close, not to make any moves. This had just made her life a whole lot more complicated than it had to be, and she felt a numbness crawl up her legs.

"The… sparks," He mustered, bringing his hand to his lip and grazing it. It had felt… _right. _Like they were meant to be together, like they were a match made in heaven, like everything was right where it was supposed to be. She stared at him, her mouth agape. She swallowed.

"Are you kidding me?" She lied.

"No. Meredith, I felt… It felt right," As soon as the words rolled off his tongue, he clamped his mouth tightly, feeling regret bubble up in his chest.

"It felt _right?" _She yelled, infuriated. Why was she angry? Maybe it was from shock, or maybe it was fear. She didn't know. She dragged her hand through her shiny hair, exasperated. "Now you say I feel _right, _Derek? It's only been a few days and you're already all over me! I was here to help you!" She wiped her face with the back of her hand and looked up at the sky, where grey clouds were beginning to crawl across threateningly.

"It felt right, Meredith, you can't deny it! It was a kiss!" He yelled at her, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"You're wrong! You know what you are?"

"No, Meredith, what am I?"

"You're desperate!" She shouted in his face. He took a step back at her sudden, uncensored outburst. "You're desperate for love. Desperate for someone to need you; desperate for someone to want you. I come to help you, to do my _job, _and before I know it you're all over me in need and desperation. The moment me and my boyfriend fight, the moment you're on top of me, and I can't do anything about it!" Her emotions blazed.

He shot her a look, "Hey, don't you dare go blaming this all on me! You kissed me _back!" _Meredith glared back at him, a sudden defiance and defensiveness flickering deep in her eyes.

"I wouldn't~"

"You know what you are?" He began menacingly, advancing towards her. She stared him down through glimmering down, anger and frustration penetrating his gaze. "You're afraid, Meredith. You're afraid that something felt right. You're afraid of relationships. And you're afraid that maybe you've fallen for someone." She winced at his words and felt horror, embarrassment and anger bubble up, gurgling in her chest. The only reason she felt like that was because the words that rolled out of his lips… they were right. It was true.

"I…" She began her sentence powerfully, angry, strongly, but the words crumbled at her feet. She felt tears be brought to her eyes and her vision blurred, the images losing their crisp edges and the colors melting into a palette of greens and blues and grey. She blinked and wiped her eyes again, directing her gaze to the ground. "You don't know what you're talking about," She whispered in a hush shout.

He hesitated, and then suddenly broke out into an angry outburst that made Meredith cringe, "You, Meredith Grey, are afraid of _love!" _

Meredith felt herself snap. The tingles and excitement she had had unknowingly moments before had dissolved, and she felt more tears be brought forward. She looked back up at him, her tears glimmering, and she turned on her heels, stomping back to the door of the trailer. Her feet sank in the mud that had been leftover outside. She sloshed until she yanked the door open. It clanked and swung largely, then slammed loudly behind her.

Once she was in the trailer she made a mad dash for the bathroom, running in to rinse her face with the usually cold water. She drew some up onto her red cheeks and let it slosh back into the sink, tunneling down the drain as it burbled. The bubbles popped as it dissolved. She placed her hands around the rim of the sink and leaned forward on them, shutting her eyes and letting out an exhausted sigh.

She _had _felt sparks. They were more powerful then she had ever felt before, with anyone else…And that was what scared her the most. And he had said the word _love._ That four letter word that meant the world to most people who heard it. The one little word she had been looking for her entire life, and he had just said it to her. She took a few more savored breaths, taking enjoyment in the moments of peace and solitude she had gained, but after a few minutes, she sighed and opened the door to the bathroom. "Derek? I guess we can talk… I…" She looked around, realizing she wasn't talking to anyone. Derek hadn't followed her into the trailer.

Sighing, she reached into the mini fridge and pulled out a water bottle, placing it to her lips and taking a grateful sip. It poured down her throat and chilled her, and she gasped as she released it. "Derek?" She called again, wiping her mouth and setting the bottle back down. She didn't response. Oh, the silent treatment? She could deal with that.

She pulled her shoes back on and wrapped her coat around her shoulders once again, "Derek?" She clasped her clammy hand around the metal handle of the trailer and pulled, swinging the metal opening open wide. She shut her eyes and sucked in the cool air. "Derek, I think that you~" But she was cut off mid sentence. Derek was outside, all right, but not in the way she thought he'd be. He wasn't pacing, and he wasn't leaning against the trailer in a haughty huff. Derek was collapsed on the ground and was clutching his side, breathing heavily and labored, his eyes wide as he gasped for air.

Meredith lost track of all her anger she held on to a few moments before and ran over to him, not bothering to hang onto her had as it went flying off her head, a victim to gravity. She bounded over to him then skidded to her knees onto the ground, biting her lip and grabbing his arm. "Derek! Derek, what happened?"

His eyes were screwed shut in a wriggled mess of pain and he gasped, choking on his own air. "Head…ache…" He sputtered. "I was… dizzy and I… fell on my… chest… It…" He coughed and then screamed out in pain, and Meredith held onto him, panic enveloping her. "It's… spinning… everything's spinning…" He slurred weakly, his eyes fluttering between a state of stupor and consciousness. "Meredith…" His syllables fell apart and his words crumbled beneath him. He choked again.

Meredith clasped onto him, "Don't worry, Derek," She sputtered, her own breaths becoming ragged. "We're going to the hospital. Can you stand?" She asked him desperately, clinging to his shoulders.

"I… Try…" He murmured, his voice strained with pain. Meredith nodded at him supportively and let him lean against her as he struggled to stand up. Meredith wrapped her arms around him as tightly as possible without crushing his damaged ribs. She struggled under his weight and tried her best to hold him up, clutching her hands underneath his shoulder blades. Even with his greatest effort, all he could manage to do was staggar. She walked him the few feet to the car, each step with a muffled cry of pain from him. He winced. And winced. And winced.

"I… I have to get the keys," She stumbled for words as she strained to click the buckle into the affirming seatbelt. "I'll be right back, okay?" There was no response from him, and he just leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes still closed tightly. Meredith felt sweat beads form on her forehead as she panted, licking her lips. She ran back inside, brushing her hands across the counter until she grasped the keys between her fingers, clasping them tightly. She grabbed her hat that had fallen off and slammed the door, sprinting until her lungs felt as if they were about to explode. She grasped the handle of the car and yanked as it sprung open, then hopped into the seat and shoved the keys into the ignition. It rumbled, roaring to life, and she barely looked behind her as she backed up and began to drive. "What hurts?"

"My… chest…" He sputtered to talk. "And… my head… it's… headache…I…" He moaned in pain again, pressing his head back against the seat. His breaths were uneven and ragged and pained.

"Okay… okay… Derek, you're going to be fine, okay? Take deep breaths," She instructed, but tears had began to gather in the corners of her eyes as well.

"It hurts… to… breathe…" He gasped. Meredith nodded tearfully.

"Okay, we'll be there soon, okay? Don't talk, just focus on breathing, Derek," She begged him, roaring the engine faster. "I promise. We're almost there."

He nodded and winced, sitting in a straight, painful position, letting out occasional moans and groans of thickly rooted pain. Every time he did, it was a painful spear to Meredith's heart. She reached her hand over slowly and grabbed his palm, holding it in a tight, affirming grasp. He wriggled under her touch but squeezed her hand over, panting and breathless.

XXX

"What do we go?" Dr. Miranda Bailey ordered as soon as Meredith brought Derek through the trauma center in Seattle Grace Hospital.

"I think its Post Concussion Syndrome," She said frantically, running her hands through her hair. "He got so dizzy he fell, and he landed on his ribs…" She bit her lip and followed the gurney that traveled with Derek, clasping her hand around the cold metal bar. He clutched his chest and moaned through his teeth, his eyes still twisted shut.

"Mhm, looks like it," Bailey nodded, "Page Dr. Alexander to trauma room one, would you?" Meredith froze, blinking distantly. Ryan. "Well, would you do it? We need to make sure there's no internal damage. Do you hear me, Grey?"

She blinked back to life, "Y-Yes, Bailey." She watched as Derek was wheeled into trauma room one, leaving her behind. She gave his hand one last comforting squeeze and reached for her pager…

_**A/N: So, there we go! What did you think? Lets just say Ryan is **_**not at all **_**going to be happy that Derek is there. He does not like the man. At **_**all. **_**Hm, we'll see how this all goes down! What'd you think of Meredith and Derek's first kiss? **_

_**Comments are much appreciated! Thanks for reading! **_


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